Decking the Halls

I love decorating for Christmas and thanks to Ryan's mom, my mom, and after Christmas clearance sales, we finally have a healthy amount of holiday decorations.

The main tree...The fancy tree...

If you're asking yourself how I have a fancy tree with so many little kids, I can assure you that it has already been knocked over twice. Thank goodness for the miracle of plastic ornaments.

My new addition this year was an advent calendar I made at our girl's craft night a few weeks ago. It was super easy (thanks to my friend Mona and her vinyl hookup), it's basically just vinyl numbers on a plate charger, and the marker is a cute fuzzy ball glued onto a magnet...I think my dear sweet husband has saved every single Christmas ornament he's ever had since birth, including the homemade variety from elementary school. (What can I say? He's a gentle giant...) He's too sentimental to throw them all out and I'm way too picky to put them all up, but I strung a select few with raffia and hung them on some of our garland. It turned out much better than expected... I have to give my props to Ryan for getting the lights up early this year, we usually end up with a better late than never situation, but this year he had them up Thanksgiving weekend.Kaydree was a big help but Carver's idea of helping looked more like this... So with the lights up and the ornaments hung, all that's left to do is a little shopping. We're not die hard Black Friday people, but we can appreciate a good deal as much as the next guy. So yes, we had most of our holiday shopping 'in the bag' before noon on black Friday. BUT, I will say that was NO thanks to our black Friday trip to Wal-Mart (aka the corporate spawn of satan) where I have never seen so many white-trash and foul smelling people in one location in my entire life (and I live next to the Texas Motor Speedway, hot spot for nascar lovers and mullet lovers alike). We were pushed, shoved, and disrespected to the point where both Ryan and I were happy to cut our losses and get the heck out of there totally empty handed. I have 2 words for you Wal-Mart: NEVER AGAIN! (never again on black friday, that is...hey, i still need groceries). That whole experience made me happy that I spend the majority of my time at home, where we are ready for a relaxing and stress-free holiday season!

Giving Thanks

This year we are thankful for:

Surprise visits from IdahoSweet CousinsElsie, Jackson, AvaGood FoodJeffrey, Caitlin, Janeen, Jacks, & BrentMom, Dad, and ChrisWarm Clothes
A Fun Family

And last but certainly not least, Pumpkin Cheesecake

Aunt Dee Dee's Famous Pumpkin Cheesecake

CRUST
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
TOPPING
2 cups sour cream, room temperature (16 oz. carton)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
CHEESECAKE
3 packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups canned pumpkin (15 oz.)
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Crust- Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar in medium bowl. Press onto the bottom and I inch up side of a 9"spring-form pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 6 to 8 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Keep in pan while cooling.

Cheesecake- Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch,cinnamon and nutmeg: beat well. Pour into crust. Bake at 350 for 55 to 60 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly.(put cookie sheet on bottom rack underneath so mixture doesn't drip on bottom of oven. Put cheesecake pan on middle rack above.

Topping- Combine sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack. Chill for several hours or overnight. Remove side of spring-form pan before slicing.

As a side note, I was responsible for making the cheesecake (which was totally worth the time and effort, mmm...) and Ryan was responsible for getting the drinks. He was sent to the store to get a variety of different sodas, and he came back with 3 different kinds of Root Beer - A&W, Barq's, and Mug...his idea of "variety" apparently.

PS: This year I am also thankful for courage. I went into my hair dresser looking like this:

And feeling a little like this:

But I came out looking like this:

A wedge with chestnut color and caramel highlights, it sounds more like a dessert than a hairstyle but I am loving it so far.

So if you know this guy:

You'll know what I mean when I say this:

"WOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

What a great Thanksgiving!

7 months

Somewhere between coughs, sneezes, and sniffles, Elsie and Ava have managed to have another good month. They are eating baby food regularly, E much better than A (which we're hoping will bump her up into a higher weight class). They are also starting to form little words, Ava loves to repeat "ba ba ba ba" all day while Elsie goes for "ma ma ma ma." Elsie has also immerged as the more social of the two, she'll wave hi and even say hi and smile...while Aves has been more of the strong silent type lately. Here's what the rest of the month has looked like for our dynamic duo:

Learning to share (they'll even trade toys sometimes when they play)...

(A, E)

Rolling under the couch can be a real problem...

Crutchin' on the swings, this is still Elsie's favorite place to fall asleep... Hanging out...

These two are becoming best buds more and more as they grow older. We are so blessed to have them in our family!